This program would downgrade the EP requirements for a lot.

This is pretty difficult, because we really don't understand the record format for many of the records in a lot package. There are also multiple versions of records, depending upon the latest EP.

It might make more sense to copy specific records from the lot package to a clean lot package created with an earlier set of EPs.

I have a very early version of this program available now. I managed to convert my Lost Angles lot, which I've been wanting to downgrade since I realized that the game isn't backwards compatible.

There seems to be a problem converting down to a base-game lot. I haven't figured out what the problem is yet.

I'm very interested in angel f's Case Study Homes:
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=296355

but I don't like the amount of CC:

or the EP requirements:
"University, Nightlife, Open for Business, Pets, Seasons, Bon Voyage, Free Time, Family Fun Stuff, Glamour Life Stuff, Celebration Stuff, H&M Fashion Stuff, Teen Style Stuff, Kitchen & Bath Stuff, Ikea Home Stuff"

There is also the problem that many of the lot edges are not flat and will deform your neighborhood. There's even one lot which has an uneven road.

So, I thought that I might try to convert all of these lots to minimal CC (transparent tile and metro windows only?) and a minimal EP requirement (any EP from NL on?).

Technique; using CSH #1 as a test case (all EPs and SPs except Store):
1) Flatten lot edges using the LotAdjuster
2) Create a NL-only lot with the same Width, Height, and U11 values as the original lot. (W=5 H=4 U11=3)
3) Replace all existing instances of the following records with the corresponding record instances from the original lot:
- 3ARY (grid, flooring, flat roofs, ...)
- SMAP (wallpapers)
- WGRA (walls)
- WLL (walls)

Result: Crash

Then I realized that the min and max levels have to agree, so I manually changed the min and max levels in WRLD to match the ones in WGRA instance 5 using SimPE.

Result: Success, pending further testing.

Other records which we should consider:
- FPL (fence posts)
- POOL (pool surface)
- ROOF (roofs; may need to be downgraded to version 1)
- MOBJT, OBJT, XOBJ, XMTO, OBJM (objects)

Good to see this is still bubbling away. It would be a marvellous addition to the arsenal!

I realized yesterday that I hadn't really documented which records I've been working with, so I thought that I'd should document this somewhere.

It's nice to see that the same technique that worked from Uni+NL+OFB+FFS+GLS also works for everything up to and including M&G. I remember that there was some question whether the original test was too simple. I honestly think that we're on the right track with this one.

Unfortunately, the object records are going to be the hardest ones to downgrade. There's still a lot of work to be done, but I don't enjoy TS3 so I guess I've got time.

When this is working, will the resulting program be able to scan a lot file, and downgrade everything "as far as possible without losing functionality" automatically, and list the resulting requirements?

No. I hadn't considered this. Here's what I was thinking:

First, downgrade to the lowest EP-requirement that I can manage. From previous tests, this is likely NL. However, this won't require the user to have NL, just any EP or SP from NL on. If I could make this base-game compatible, I would.

Once that's working reasonably, release this initial version. Then, start giving the user a choice of which EP they want to downgrade to. This really requires two things:
1) Determine which downgrades are associated with which EPs.
2) Make downgrades conditional on the EP-requirement chosen by the user.
Note that the first one is the hard part of this step. It probably makes some sense to add EPs/SPs in sequence: first NL or OFB, then NL or OFB or FFS, then NL or OFB or FFS or GLS, etc.

An alternative would be to get CL to downgrade from M&G to AL (is this the null op?), then from M&G to FT, then from M&G to BV. The reason that I favor the other approach is because it meets my own personal needs; I want to downgrade as far as possible, then finish building in the lowest possible EP.

Once I have done the above, then I might be able to add an optional scan phase which will determine the highest EP-requirement, based on the individual record versions. However, this may be pretty useless, as many records are updated to the latest version by the game, regardless of whether the lot actually uses the features in the new version. I can imagine that such a scan would always return the latest EP which touched the lot.

Scanning individual objects on the lot to determine their EP-requirements, which is what I think you want, sounds like a lot of work with a high probability of failure. I really doubt that this will ever happen.
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I was thinking that this might be a good way to approach the problem:
1) User specifies lot to be downgraded, either in hood or by itself.
2) CL creates new lot of appropriate size and rotation.
3) CL copies appropriate records, downgraded as necessary.
4) User specifies where to write the new lot. It really doesn't make sense to overwrite the original lot. The best idea is probably to write the new lot to the LotCatalog, so that the user can add the new lot to an appropriate hood.

"Scanning individual objects on the lot to determine their EP-requirements, which is what I think you want, sounds like a lot of work with a high probability of failure. I really doubt that this will ever happen."
I agree, sorta. It isn`t so much that I WANT this --I have everything installed now, except Store Edition and Happy Holidays-- as that I was wondering about the possibility of going there. Scanning for objects would be a lot of work, and there is a very high probability of failure, but there are some things that could get it to at least partialy work. A database of all known official EA objects and the known expansion requirements for each would work for lots with NO custom content, and a competant user could maintain a database of known-to-that-user CC and the expansion requirements for that. Difficult, and error-prone, but doable. Even so, I`m sure that many people would want just that.

P.S.: I think that your program sounds like an excelent idea, even if it doesn`t do what I`m describing.

Woudl it work better to start downgrading a lot package, rather than an in-game loot? Because if the lot is within a high-EP game while being altered, that might make difficulites? Detaching the package from the game before trying to alter it sounds safer.
Obviously I'm talking through my hat as a person of very little knowledge, but it looks that way to me.

That's exactly what I was suggesting in step 4. Modify the lot and write it out to the LotCatalog, rather than overwriting the existing lot. The existing lot would remain unchanged and a new lot would appear whereever the user wants it (normally in the LotCatalog of an AnyGame).

Oh, I forgot this was going to end up with a downgraded copy, rather than downgrading the original lot. Never mind!

That's OK. I have a hard enough time remembering everything and I'm working on the program. I can't expect you to remember everything, too. And, I always appreciate feedback.

I just had a thoght which may be useufl, you never know. I made a lot back when I only had basegame, and it worked well. However, I can't use it any more, because after installing Seasons, it stopped loading.

If you think that might offer any clues, you're welcome to use it!

It's my produce stall, uploaded here:
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=225852

That's a new one... I've never seen a lot that wasn't forwards compatible. Does it happen with both the CC and CC-free versions?

I'll take a look and see if I can find anything odd.

Yes, from memory taking the CC out didn't help. Of course I haven't attempted it in a while.